Tucker, 60, steps into the role vacated in December by Kevin Palmer. But it is far from his first foray into school administration. He served in the Nashoba Regional School District for 34 years as a teacher, a curriculum coordinator, an assistant principal and as principal.

As such, he filled an immediate need created when Palmer left mid-year.

“It is nice to have someone with such a strong administrative track record that he has,” Principal Diane Tucceri said. “Because of his years of experience, he really transitioned seamlessly into the position.

“He is extremely professional and knowledgeable and we are very lucky to be able to get him,” she said.

Tucker is also well-known in the area as the longtime football coach of the Nashoba Chieftains, having taken the team to seven Super Bowls, including the last three years, which saw his team win two championships. Along the way, there were numerous league titles.

While he won’t be taking the helm of the Lions, Tahanto students are sure to experience an off-field philosophy that is not much different than on the gridiron.

“I coached a lot like I teach,” Tucker said. “A good coach must teach, and a good teacher must coach.”

Tucker retired from Nashoba in 2010, but he never lost his passion for education, he said. He spent some of his time mentoring and consulting teachers who wanted to become administrators.

“I still had an interest in staying involved in education,” he said. “That was the reason I stayed coaching football at first. Then I was consulting with my friends and other people in education.”

Earlier this year, he saw the advertisement for the Tahanto interim position. The job is a good fit, since, as a retiree, Tucker is limited in the amount of hours he can work in a year.

“I had an interest in getting back into education, in doing some part-time administrative work or consulting,” he said. “I knew the district from being nearby, so I figured ‘what the heck?’ I still had an interest in being involved in education and I saw an opportunity to help them out, and to help myself out.”

So far, things have worked out well, Tucceri said. She noted Tucker was introduced at an all-school meeting on Feb. 4 and he immediately started talking to students.

“It’s nice to have someone with his qualifications, and who is not afraid to go up to the kids and start a conversation,” Tucceri said. “The kids have already been through a lot of transition this year.”

Tucker’s experience from the other side of that equation has been similar.

“The kids have been very friendly to me. Diane has been great. The teachers have been great,” he said. “Even though I have a lot of experience, each district, each building is different. I’m starting to learn the building.

“The hardest part is trying to learn all the names,” he said with a laugh.

Overall, his impression is that Tahanto has an atmosphere conducive to learning.

“The atmosphere in the school is very positive,” he said. “It’s a great culture for learning. There are happy kids and happy teachers, for the most part. A climate that is created by positive academics, athletics and clubs is an atmosphere that leads to learning in it.”

For parents, Tucker said his goals are simple.

“Everyone has an obligation. Teachers teach and students learn,” he said. “It’s an administrator’s job to help with those things. I try to be as fair and consistent as possible. Any decision I make, I do it with the kids in mind. That’s my motto: Do what’s best for the kids, whether it be discipline or helping them with a problem.”